Biographical/historical information

Alpheus W. Drinkwater (1858–1944) was a telegrapher and maritime radio operator known for his work along the North Carolina coast. He played a crucial role in relaying the historic news of the Wright Brothers' first powered flight at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903, transmitting the telegram that informed the world of their achievement. Drinkwater also served with the U.S. Weather Bureau and the Life-Saving Service, becoming a key figure in early coastal communications. In 1909, he transmitted the first wireless distress signal from the Cape Hatteras Weather Bureau Station during the wreck of the SS Bohemia.

Scope and arrangement

The Alpheus W. Drinkwater Collection consists of photographic prints, a ballad, and digital scans documenting the life and legacy of Alpheus W. Drinkwater, as well as historical aviation and maritime events along the North Carolina coast. The materials, spanning the early 1900s to the early 21st century, provide valuable insight into the Outer Banks' history, including the Wright Brothers' aviation experiments, shipwrecks, and cultural heritage.

The collection includes photographic prints made from cyanotype and sepia-tone originals depicting the Wright Brothers' glider flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, around 1911, featuring British aviator Alexander Ogilvie, as well as prints made from sepia-tone and black-and-white originals of Alpheus Drinkwater. Additional photographs depict Drinkwater, Drinkwater family homes on Roanoke Island, and schooners wrecked in Ocracoke Inlet in the early 1900s. A photograph of Andy Griffith as a young man alongside other cast members of The Lost Colony production is also included. The original photographs were retained by the donor, with prints created by ECU staff in 2001.

Also present is "Ballad to Drinkwater," an undated tribute by Dick Jordan, along with digital scans of selected images from the collection. This collection offers a unique perspective on early aviation, maritime history, and cultural heritage in North Carolina, particularly through the experiences of Alpheus Drinkwater and his connections to key historical events.

Administrative information

Custodial History

March 6, 2001 (unprocessed), 1 Container, 145 items, 0.3 cubic feet; Collection, ca. 1908-1997, of photographic prints (b & w) made from cyanotype, septia tone, and black & white photographs in a scrapbook & photocopies of newspaper & magazine clippings, letters, documents, & scrapbook material relating to the Wright Brothers's 1911 glider flights with British aviator Alexander Ogilvie at Kitty Hawk, N.C., and to Alpheus W. Drinkwater (1875-1962), a telegrapher and correspondent for The Associate Press in Manteo, NC who was famed for relaying the news of the Wright Brothers's first flight at Kitty Hawk, NC on December 17, 1903. Donor: Mrs. John L. (Marguerite) Booth and sons John Lee Booth, Jr., and Robert Allen Booth.

February 11, 2003 (unprocessed addition 1), 27 items, 0.063 cubic feet; Collection (2003) of digitized reproductions of 23 photographic prints (18 cyanotype and 5 sepia) on 1 compact disc, scanned at 300 dpi, primarily of the Wright Brothers and British aviator Alexander Ogilvie test flying gliders at Kitty Hawk, N.C.,ca. 1911, copied from a scrapbook presented to A. W. Drinkwater by Van Ness Harwood of the New York World newspaper. (300 dpi Maxell compact disc #J410G4107143108D20); Thumbnail print inventory; and compact discs with selected Wright Brothers images scanned at 600 dpi. (600 dpi Maxell CD #1: #J410G4107143059C20 = P-805/1-7, 17; Maxell CD #2: #J410G4107143069D20 = P-805/1, 8-16, 22, 24-25). Donor: Mrs. John L. (Marguerite) Booth and sons John Lee Booth, Jr., and Robert Allen Booth.

August 30, 2012 (unprocessed addition 2), 1 item, 0.001 cubic feet; Typescript of the "Ballad to Drinkwater" written by Dick Jordan. Donor was given this document by Marguerite Drinkwater Booth (daughter of Alpheus W. Drinkwater). Donor: Lorraine Robinson.

Source of acquisition

Gift of Mrs. John L. (Marguerite) Booth and sons John Lee Booth, Jr., and Robert Allen Booth

Gift of Lorraine Robinson

Processing information

Encoded by Apex Data Services

Copyright notice

Literary rights to specific documents are retained by the authors or their descendants in accordance with U.S. copyright law.

Key terms

Personal Names

Burnside, Ambrose Everett, 1824-1881--Homes and haunts
Drinkwater, Alpheus W., 1875-1962
Griffith, Andy, 1926-2012
Ogilvie, Alexander, 1870-1939
Wright, Orville, 1871-1948
Wright, Wilbur, 1867-1912

Topical

Gliders (Aeronautics)--North Carolina--Kill Devil Hills
Gliders (Aeronautics)--North Carolina--Kitty Hawk
Gliding and soaring--North Carolina--Kill Devil Hills
Gliding and soaring--North Carolina--Kitty Hawk
Reporters and reporting--North Carolina--Kitty Hawk

Titles

Green, Paul, 1894-1981. Lost Colony

Container list